RCMP boss quits, culling animals is normal

Who will replace RCMP boss?
RCMP Commissioner William Elliottresigned today after almost four years in the role. He is the first civilian to hold the position and leaves behind an interesting legacy as the police force’s most senior member. Several senior Mounties publicly questioned his management style during his tenure, and his surprise resignation brings more questions. “The big questions are going to be why and, of course, who will take over?” said Rob Gordon, director of SFU criminology. “The announcement provides no information about why, and while there is a suggestion that there will be a comprehensive selection process to find a replacement, there must be a front-runner. The next few months are going to be very interesting.”

Culling animals is normal
Whistler RCMP and the B.C. SPCA continue their investigation into 100 sled dogs that were killed by an Outdoor Adventures Whistler staffer in 2010. SFU business professor David Hannah, who also specializes in animal work, said the degree of public outrage is understandable but culling animals is not unusual. “People love dogs and these sled dogs are beautiful animals. Also, if the stories are accurate, these dogs have been killed in horrible ways,” said Hannah. “But this kind of situation, as awful as it seems, is not that uncommon. Lots of people have jobs where they are required to kill animals because it is too costly to keep the animals alive.”